Earth moving implement having plural scoops



Dec.'16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURALSCOOPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

Dec. 16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURALSCOOPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1966 Dec. 16, 1969 H. s.POTGIETER 3,483,644

EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENTHAVING PLURAL SCOOPS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W UFQ UnitedStates Patent O 3,483,644 EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPSHendrik Stoute Potgieter, Hooglanden, Zastron, Orange Free State,Republic of South Africa Filed Dec. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 604,464 Claimspriority, application Republic of South Africa, Oct. 13, 1966, 66/6,200Int. Cl. EliZd 3/00 US. Cl. 37127 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anearth moving self-filling scraper is provided wherein two or moretandemly positioned scoops are arranged for independent serial fillingand simultaneous discharge by means of pusher blades mounted for slidingmovement along the scoops. The front scoop is provided with a pivotallymounted apron, but for a scoop positioned rearwardly of the front scoopthe pusher blade of the front scoop will, in -its retracted position,provide an apron.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention is a developmentof my earlier invention, in respect of which US. Patent No. 3,163,946was sealed on Jan. 5, 1965.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to earth movingimplements of the kind sometimes called carry scrapers, which areprovided with one or more self-filling scoops mounted on a wheeledchassis which is either adapted to be drawn by a tractor, or which isarranged to be self-propelled, by the mounting of propulsion meansthereon.

SUMMARY According to the invention, an earth moving implement of thekind as generally defined above, includes front and rear pairs of roadwheels, a chassis connecting these front and rear wheels; a plurality ofself-filling troughlike scoops mounted tandem-fashion on the chassis forindependent downward pivoting movement for scraping and filling andsubsequent upward pivoting movement for travelling purposes, such thatthey are capable of being filled successively, a bull-dozer type ofloading pusher blade constituting an end wall for each scoop, whichpusher blades are arranged for simultaneous forward longitudinalmovements within the scoops for discharging their contents from thefront ends thereof, and wherein apron means are provided for closing thefront ends of the scoops when in their filled and travelling positions.

In the case of the front scoop a separate pivotally mounted apron forits open front end is provided, while for the scoop or scoops positionedrearwardly of such front scoop, the pusher blade of a scoop immediatelyin front of it will, in its retracted position, provide an apron for itsfront open end.

To permit the discharge of the contents of a scoop mounted rearwardly ofthe front scoop, a bottom'or floor discharge opening is provided betweenits front end and the rear end of the scoop immediately in front of it,which discharge opening is arranged to be closed by the bottom end ofthe pusher blade which provides its apron, acting in the nature of asliding shutter or gate. This pusher blade is open at its bottom, andforms a hollow structure which overlaps and completely closes the floordischarge opening. This structure may also be open at the top forclearing out clay stuck to the bottom. A sharp rear edge has a shearingaction on clay or sods "ice when the rear scoop is raised. For thispurpose, the bottom of such pusher blade is not closed off, and in thefully retracted position it overlaps and completely closes off suchfloor discharge opening.

Means may be provided for lowering the front end of the chassis tofacilitate the scraping and filling operations of the scoops, inaddition to the means provided for effecting the independent pivotingmovement of the scoops for this purpose.

The power-exerting devices are conveniently hydraulically operatedcylinder and piston units, arranged to be controlled by an operatordriving a towing vehicle or by an operator seated on the machine itselfwhen it is selfpropelled. The front end of the chassis may be supportedby being pivotally mounted between the two rearwardly directed arms of abifurcated draft frame, the opposite front end of which is pivotallyconnected to the front wheels, where the implement is in the form of atrailer or is self-propelled. Alternatively the front end of the chassismay be supported on the rear wheels of a tractor vehicle such as amechanical horse, in which case the aforementioned front wheels arerendered redundant.

The connection between the front end of the draft frame and an axle onwhich the front wheels are mounted, is preferably in the form of a balland socket joint, but may be by means of a bolster shaft, allowinguniversal motion of the front axle by means of a centre fork and pin inthe front axle.

The scoops may be pivotally attached to the side frame members of thechassis by rearwardly projecting pairs of arms, with the pairs of armsof the scoops being alternatively arranged above and below thecorresponding arms of an adjacent scoop and spaced laterally so as toprevent fouling during successive pivoting movements of the scoops. Thisarrangement is only used when more than two scoops are provided.

In an alternative arrangement the scoops may have a common pivot axisnear to and below the axis of the rear wheels so as to provide a smallangle of attack for the scraping lips on the front ends of the scoops.

An hydraulically operated piston and cylinder unit is arranged tooperate the pusher blades and is located rearwardly of the back end ofthe rear scoop and connected to the pusher blades by yokes or otherconvenient rigid connecting means, such as side plates rigidlyconnecting front and rear pusher blades. These side plates areconveniently located inside of the vertical side walls of the scoops.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING To enable the invention to be moreclearly understood and carried into practice, reference is now made tothe accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an earth moving implement made accordingto the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view taken on FIGURE 1 but omitting the hydrauliccylinder units and other parts.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary substantially diagrammatic side viewillustrating a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 3, but showing a furthermodified arrangement, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front end of theimplement, illustrating a modified method of mounting and operating anapron for the front end of the front scoop.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing,reference 10 denotes the chassis of a trailer type earth movingimplement which is mounted on a pair of rear wheels 12 and a pair ofsteerable front wheels 14, to which the chassis is pivotally attached bymeans of the bifurcated draft frame 16 between the two rearwardlydirected arms of which the chassis is pivotally supported by the twotrunnion pins 18. Mounted within the chassis are front and rear scoops20 and 22 each of which carries a sharp front lip 24. The implement isarranged to be coupled to a towing vehicle such as a tractor by thedrawbar 26. The rear end of the chassis is supported below the axle 28and is attached to it by the two extensions 30 so that the front end ofthe chassis 10 can be lowered for filling the front scoop 20, byoperation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32, arranged one oneach side and connected between the two arms of the draft frame 16 andanchoring lugs 34 projecting upwardly from the top side of the chassis10.

The rear scoop 22 is pivotally mounted, by means of rear extensions 36,having bearing means 38 secured on the rear axle 28, and is arranged tobe independently lowered and raised for filling and travelling purposesby two cylinder and piston units 40, arranged one on each side of thechassis 10. An apron 42 fixed to two transversely spaced arms 44pivotally secured at their ends to the chassis 10 by two pivot pins 46,is arranged to be raised and lowered by a cylinder and piston unit 48.

The back end of the rear scoop 22 is closed by the pusher blade 50,while the rear end of the front scoop is closed by the pusher blade 52which is connected to the pusher blade 50 by side yokes 54.

The bottom of the hollow pusher blade 52 in the travelling retractedposition of such blade, forms a closure for a transverse dischargeopening 58 for the rear scoop 22 as shown in FIGURE 1. Sliding operativemovement of the pusher blades 50 and 52 within the scoops 20 and 22, iscontrolled by a single rearwardly mounted cylinder and piston unit 60,anchored to a rigid bracket structure 62 at the extreme rear end of theimplement.

LOADING OF SCOOPS The front scoop 20 is lowered through the draughtframe 16 by means of hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32, until thelip 24 commences to dig in. The front scoop 20 is rigidly fixed in thechassis 10 and is raised or lowered as the chassis is raised or loweredby means of hydraulic unit 32. The front scoop forms the front portionof the chassis.

The rear portion of the chassis is in the form of a frame. Within thisframe the rear scoop 22 is free for up or down pivotal movement. Thecylinder and piston units 40 on either side of the rear scoop have theirtop pivots attached to the chassis 10. Their bottom pivots are connectedto brackets on either side of the rear scoop. The rear scoop pivots onthe bearing means 38 secured to rear axles 28.

When the rear scoop is lowered for digging, the rear pusher blade 50 andfront pusher blade 52 take up the positions as indicated in FIGURE 3 ofthe drawing. When the rear scoop is raised the pusher blades andcylinder and piston assembly 60 is also raised through guide rollers 70(see FIGURE 4), and are then in a horizontal position for dischargingboth scoops.

The cylinder and piston units 48 and 60 are hydraulically connected andare operated by a sigle double-acting control valve (not shown). Sincethe load on the unit 48 is arranged to be smaller than the load on theunit 60, the apron 42 rises first when this control valve is opened, inthe appropriate direction, and thereafter the ram unit 60 causes thepusher blades 50 and 52 to discharge the contents of the scoop 22through the discharge opening 58 as it is uncovered by the forwardmovement of the pusher blade 52, and simultaneous discharge of thecontents of the front scoop 20 from its now open front end. Oncompletion of the discharge operation, the control valve is operated toreverse the flow of hydraulic fluid and thus to cause retraction of thepusher blades 50 and 52 a d closing of apron 42.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a modification in which the rear ends of twotransversely spaced yokes 61 are connected by their rear ends to therear pusher blade 50, while their front ends are rigidly attached to thetop of the pusher blade 52, the front bottom end of which is arranged topivot about the front end of the floor discharge opening 58, as shown.The bottom end 56 of the pusher blade 52 is open.

In operation, the pusher blade 52 tilts rearwardly when the rear scoop22 is lowered, as shown, for filling purposes, so that on the rear scoop22 being raised after filling, its rear edge 66 approaches the front endof the scoop 22, whereby this pusher blade acts at an early stage as anapron for the rear scoop as its tilts about its bottom front edge 64.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 4, which shows an arrangement which is amodification of that shown in FIGURE 3. In this case the rear pusherblade is connected by two side yokes 61a to the front pusher blade 52.Both connections are rigid but the end of the piston rod of thehydraulic unit 60 is pivotally attached to the rear of the pusher blade50. The top corners of each of the yokes 61a are provided with rollers70. The front pair of rollers 70 engage with top and bottom guideflanges 72 and 74 fixed to the main frame. The rear pair of rollers 70engage with guide flanges 76 fixed to the sides of the rear scoop 22. Anadvantage of the provision of rollers 70 is that they take the weight ofthe pusher blade 50 and thereby the wear on the bottom end of the pusherblade and the floor of the scoop 22 is reduced. A further advantage isthat the combined pusher blade unit is guided into position when therear scoop 22 is lowered to the digging and filling position, so thatthe heel or rear bottom edge 66 of the front pusher blade 52 approachesnear to the rear scoop blade 24 to act as an apron for the rear scoop22.

The front rollers 70 are restricted by the top guide flanges '72 so thatwhen the rear scoop 22 is raised after filling, the front pusher blade52 is not lifted by earth trapped between the floor of the rear scoop 22and the front pusher blade 52. The bottom side 56 of this front pusherblade 52 is open so as to lessen resistance to raising of the rear scoop22. The rear bottom edge 66 is sharpened to assist in further lesseningsuch resistance.

In FIGURE 4 the full line representation indicates the rear scoop 22 inits travelling position while the dotted line outline indicates thepositions of the several movable parts when the rear scoop 22 is loweredfor filling.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 5 of the drawing which illustrates amodified method of mounting and operating an apron for the front end ofthe front scoop 20. One of the two rearwardly directed arms of thebifurcated draft frame 16 is indicated by reference 16.

The modified apparatus is mounted on the top side of the chassis 10 andcomprises two square cornered U- shaped frames 80 and 82 mounted oneabove the other and pivotally connected together at their rearwardlydirected side limbs by the pivot pins 84 which engage in two brackets 86fixed to the chassis frame 10.

The upper frame 80 has the top end of a curved apron plate 88 fixed toits front end, which front end is connected to the front end 'of thelower frame 82 by the hydraulic cylinder and piston unit 90.

Adjustably attachable to the side member of the lower frame 82, areL-shaped stop elements 92, the outwardly projecting horizontal limbs 94,of which are arranged to make contact with the arms of the bifurcateddraft frame 16, when the front scoop 20 is lowered for scraping andfilling purposes, so as to hold the apron plate 88 stationary in aposition which will leave a sufiicient opening between its lower end andthe front lip 24 of the scoop 20, to enable soil or the like to enter itduring such scraping and loading operation of the implement. When thescoop 20 is raised on completion of the loading operation by means ofthe hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32,

the apron plate 38 is freed so that it, and the upper frame 80 to whichit is attached, is capable of dropping by gravity to its fully closedposition. If however, a stone or a lump of hard material prevents itfrom closing fully, the apron plate 88 then lifts both frames 80 and 82and the hydraulic unit 90. This increases the weight applied by theapron plate 88 which, due to travelling of the implement, will tend tobe shaken down to its fully closed position.

For discharging the contents of the scoop 20, the apron plate 88 israised to a fully open position by the hydraulic unit 90, which isarranged to be operated simultaneously with the operation of hydraulicunit 60 operating the pusher blades.

What I claim is:

1. An earth moving implement which includes a chassis having supportingwheels, a plurality of self-filling scoops mounted on the chassis andarranged in series one behind the other and spaced longitudinally apartso that fiow discharge openings are defined between adjacent scoops,each of the scoops having a front scraping lip and the scoops beingpivotally mounted about trailing transverse axes permitting upward anddownward pivoting movement about their pivotal axes; an off-loadingpusher blade for each scoop and constituting a back end wall for thescoop, each said pusher blade being arranged for simultaneous forwardlongitudinal movement for discharging the scoop contents from the frontends of the scoops, and apron means for closing the said front ends ofthe scoops in their filled travelling positions, the pusher blade ofeach scoop which leads a trailing scoop being arranged to act as theapron means for the said trailing scoop, and having a formation at itsbottom end so that in its fully retracted position it overlaps andcloses off the floor discharge opening between the said scoops.

2. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein means areprovided for lowering the front end of the chassis to facilitate thescraping and filling operations of the scoops.

3. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scoopshave a common pivot axis.

4. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein two scoopsare provided on the chassis and at least one rear mounted hydraulicpiston and cylinder unit is pivotally connected at its rear end to thechassis rearwardly of the back end of the rear scoop, and is connectedto the pusher blades by rigid yoke connecting means.

5. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rear endsof the yokes are pivotally connected to the rear pusher blade, while thefront ends thereof are rigidly attached to the top of the pusher bladeof the front scoop, and wherein the front bottom edge of the pusherblade of the front scoop is arranged to pivot about the front end of thefloor discharge opening when the rear scoop is lowered to its scrapingand filling position.

6. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rear endsof the yokes are rigidly connected to the rear pusher blade, while thefront ends thereof are rigidly attached to the top of the pusher bladeof the front scoop, with the front bottom edge of the pusher blade ofthe front scoop being arranged to pivot about the front end of the floordischarge opening when the rear scoop is lowered to its scraping andfilling position, and wherein the top front and rear ends of the yokesare provided with rollers which co-operate with guide means so as totake the weight of the rear pusher blade and thereby lessen wear on thebottom edge of such blade and the floor of the rear scoop.

7. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 6 wherein the guidingmeans for the rollers on the front ends of the yokes are fixed to the.main frame of the chassis, while the guiding means for the rollers onthe rear ends of the yokes are fixed to sides of the rear scoop.

8. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein an apron forthe open front end of the front scoop includes a downwardly directedapron plate, the to end of which is rigidly fixed to the free end of thepper of two superimposed co-operating frames, pivotally connectedtogether and to the chassis frame of the front open end of the frontscoop, and wherein an hydraulic cylinder and piston unit is connectedbetween the front ends of the two frames so that it is capable ofcontrolling the opening movement of the apron plate.

9. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apronplate is arranged to be opened automatically to a predetermined partialextent sufiicient to permit the filling operation to take place, whenthe front scoop is lowered for scraping and filling purposes, by providing stop means on the side members of the lower of the twosuperimposed co-operating frames so that such stop means makes contactwith the two rearwardly directed arms of the bifurcated draft frame, andthus stops downward movement of the upper frame and through it the apronplate fixed to it.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,924 11/1936 Slate 37129 XR2,207,424 7/1940 Wood 37126 2,505,202 4/1950 Peterson 37127 2,791,0445/1957 Hancock 37-8 XR 2,912,826 11/1959 Tam 60-97 2,931,111 4/1960Clark 374 3,052,996 9/1962 Holopainen 37124 XR 3,163,946 1/1965Potgieter 37129 3,230,646 1/1966 LeTourneau 37-126 E. H. EICKHOLT,Primary Examiner ROBERT E. PULFREY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 374

